Displaying items by tag: peace agreement

At high-level talks with the USA in Saudi Arabia, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has declared that Russia will not accept NATO peacekeeping forces in Ukraine under any peace agreement. The discussions marked the first known face-to-face meeting between Russian and American delegations since the invasion began. Both sides agreed to appoint teams to negotiate an end to the war, which US secretary of state Marco Rubio called a significant step. Ukraine was not invited, prompting Volodymyr Zelensky to express frustration over decisions being made without his country's involvement. European leaders held emergency talks in Paris but failed to reach a unified response to the negotiations. While the UK suggested a security presence in Ukraine, Germany and other European nations opposed the idea. Zelensky, visibly tired and upset, will also know that his country's chances of resisting - let alone defeating - Russian troops without American help are very slim.

While the 2019 peace agreement signed in the CAR was a step forward, it has not yet been fully implemented, as militia attacks continued to occur. Pray for meaningful dialogue between state and non-state armed participants that would enable the agreement to succeed. The Chinese, the Russians, the UN peacekeeping forces (MINUSCA), the rebels, and the political authorities are all out to plunder what they can of the mineral riches of the country. The people have eyes only to weep. When will this nightmare ever come to an end? Pray that peace, stability and justice will come soon, for the sake of the civilians who continue to suffer immensely. Although a special criminal court was set up in 2015 to investigate and prosecute grave human rights violations, it lacks funding : so countless victims of violence are waiting for justice. Pray that the court will be fully financed, so that all perpetrators are held to account.